Took a week or so off from the last trip and then back out to Vegas again without the wife. Took advantage of the River of Dreams offer from Harrah's for a WSOP main event Satty & a room for 3 nights at the Rio for about $320 total, decent deal IMHO.

Minor note on food- Noodle Asia at the Venetian is outstanding, as well as the Asian place by the sports book in the Rio. Had 2 really good meals (breakfast & lunch) at the Rio buffett.

Weather! I normally wouldn't mention it, but what a difference 10+ degrees or so makes. Unbelievably HOT! The 105 range is doable, but I parked in the Wynn garage one day in the shade for a few hour. I came out, started the car and the dash thermo read 123 degrees! Yea, it's a dry heat but good lord!

Tourneys-

River of Dreams Sat- I apologize for some mis-information I posted after talking to the special events staff at the Rio. I was told at the time I booked there were almost 600 people that had booked this package. And, that Harrahs had changed the Sat from 1 seat winner take all to 3 seats (1 seat for every 200 players). Well.... turn out was in the high 200's (where they got almost 600 from when I called is beyond me). 1 seat was awarded to the main event, and cash for 2nd(2K), and 3rd(1K).

Sat started on time in the "Poker Pavillion". Harrahs speak for, the big hot F@#*ing tent with garbage bag AC ducting out back next to the porta crappers(but they were the nicest one's I've ever been in!). This is where most of the over flow for all of the big turn out events started. It kinda makes a statement about how Harrahs feels about hosting the WSOP after last years logistics mess. Plenty of inside space to be had, but those rooms were filled with the same convention type gatherings as last year like, left handed bolt manufacturers in 3000 sq ft of space with 22 attendees, and poker play sequestered to the parking lot out back (rant done).

The structure was set to move quickly. Kinda of a keep chipping up quickly or die. Won a few pots, then turned into the village idiot being to agressive with 77 on a low flop, and ran into KK (no pre flop re raise). Gone.............. to my horror show of the 1K re buy event (below)

I hope no one booked based on the erroneous info I was given ;( . Over all I thought it was still a good value. 2 night at the Rio, Sat entry for $250, and 2 additional night @ $60ea if you wanted them.

Binions $550 NL event, I had the same experience as the week before, went deep but no cash. Outstanding event, run well, looking forward to it next year. Down $$

WSOP 1K re-buy. WOW, and I thought the $1500 PLO was an eye opener. I took my normal approach for a re-buy tourney. I pay'd the entry & got 2 1K chips for either a re-buy & add on if needed, or double add on if needed.

I knew it was going to be village idiots on parade from the 2nd hand. (Minor rant to follow, be for warned). I look around the table to see...Seat 1 has 8K for re-buys, seat 3 has 6K, and seat 8 has 11K. Oh shit!

2nd hand, 1 all in and 2 calls, and what monsters are exposed you say! A8o(the initial push all in) followed by KJo & drum roll please.........106 sooooted! As usual in these cases the poker gods smiled on the lost and clueless as 106s proceeds to rake it in. But I'm sure they had a hard time deciding who to reward, as all are push it or call it all in hands!

Before hand #3 can start, seats 7 & 9 do their reenactment of 2006's Lisandro-Friedman missing ante war, only over the $25 SB (Mind you we started with min 2k in chips 32 sec ago) that seat 7 swears seat 8 raked in with his pot from hand #2, seat 9 swearing 7 never put it out. Words are exchanged for 5 min, with the dealer staring blankly at his chip rack. Seat 2 tries to give seat 7 a $25 chip to shut them up so we can proceed (Thank you sir for the effort). But no, the dealer decides to awaken from his coma and chimes in, no we can't have that!

Seat one decides this is the perfect time to do a double re buy (which is allowed), but our dealer decides that this double re-buy thing can't be real, and another argument ensues (as 7&9 are still at it). Double re-buy? Never heard of that one.

The floor is finally called, and decides that yes(thru his Psychic abilities I assume at this point) seat 8 MUST have raked 7's sb in & tells him to post the SB & BB, and yes any player may do a double re-buy when busted, please give #1 his new ammo.

So by hand #4 we have the Village idiots firmly bouncing off the walls, with their 106 sooooted type hands being rewarded, a scared & lost dealer (god love em for trying), and some good hate & discontent.

Plenty of action ensues, and much poker knowledge displayed as the initial raises have nothing to do with current blinds or $$ in the pot, or that nasty "traditional" solid approach to poker. 3x the BB raise, please sir! At least 10x-18x to make it interesting! Multi way pots ensue. Most all in's are called (multi calls in most cases) and are battled with KJo-Axo-47s-Q10o,22(a monster at this point!) ect, ect, ect.

Approx 17 min's have gone by at this point & I look down to find........ black J's (a hand we all hate), and I proceed to raise 4x the bb utg to scare all, lol. Only 2 callers, mister 6k for re-buys & 11k for re-buys. Not exactly liking my chances at this point.

The flop please Mr. Dealer! 2d6c9h, wow for me! No realistic draws, a flop made for JJ! I bet the pot liking my hand. Mister 11K calls after a nano second of thought or 2, and Mister 6K thinks a bit and pushs all-in! I'm thinking WTF!?! To this point I had to put myself in front as neither one has rolled a reasonable starting hand yet, and make the call... Mister 11K now has a decision, and makes that always wonderful comment, "Well I'm sure I'm behind" I call.

We roll em over, me JsJc, Mister 11k has 10d10h, and the agressive push all in, mister 6K.......AQc! WTF, nothing but 2 overs, and runner runner flush prayers!?!? At this point I have much false hope at raking this nice 6K plus pot! Turn is the Kc (runners on your mark!)
And with the poker gods working over time, our wonderful river card......... the 10 of clubs! 1st best to 3rd in one lovely flip of the card

At this juncture I thought it best to save my 2K re buy/add on, as I didn't even fade the 4% chance Mister 11k's 1010 had on the turn to win if 6k had folded after my flop bet and 11k's cold call. So I wandered babbling off into the afternoon (I still love this game tho!). I still had a wonderful 1K meal courtsey of Harrahs to look forward too, with my $10 voucher!
Down $$

Cash Games-

Rio- They had just about any game & limit going you could ask for, and all of the lower NL games were very juciy. Played 2/5 NL and made some nice $$. Many different levels of play at any table, without many sharks. Most at this level seemed to be either waiting for a tourney to start or busted out of one. TAG play worked very good, as many were in tourney play mode, and made terrible decisions. Staff filled the games reasonably well. UP $$

Binions- Played some 1/2 NL for a few hours before the start of the tourney. Table was filled with some locals & tourists, and TAG play worked again for some nice $$ in a few hours. Floor staff was friendly and filled the games almost as soon as a seat was empty. UP $$

TI- 1/3 NL. This is the first time I've played in this room, and had a great time. I'll be back for sure again. The staff was very friendly & dealers were great. I ran into Stray Bullet at my table, and had a great time talking with him and playing (No Stray, I'm usually not that crazy). The whole table was having a great time.

I think only 2 locals were at the table the whole time I played. I busted a very short stacked gentlemen with a river suck out with AKo on my first hand, when he didn't have enuff behind to make me fold after the flop. And, the 2nd one a local Realtor who ran over most of the table in about an hour and a half ($200 Buy in, cashed out about +$900), playing anything and then hitting. TAG play again did well.

Only one gripe that I have to mention tho. Our table was short for quite awhile as one of their tourneys started. We continued to play short for some time as the tourney busted up. I decided to leave, and as I was walking out noticed 2 other full 1/3 tables going. Don't know why they started up and filled 2 other games and left us with 5-6 for hours. Except for that glitch, a very friendly and well run room to play in. UP $$

Wynn- 5/10 NL. VERY nice room! Great game selection, and the staff seemed to be on top of things. A tourney was running, as well as the upper & lower cash games. The 1/3 NL(?) list was HUGE, and moving very slow so I decided to sit in a 5/10 NL game. The upper level was populated with local's, sharks & and a few tourists like me. The game was pretty str8 forward for a couple of hours. I was able to scoop some nice (smaller) pots uncontested, which I like to do at this level, as after a pre flop raise and a call or two, most pots are already in the $150-$300 range. No need to get greedy, just wait for a monster if it comes for the big pot.

Then a young Swedish guy sat down with a ton of cash, and proceeded to play like a nut case. I've played with some crazy loose/stupid (very dangerous if their hitting) players at this level on occasion, but this guy set a new standard. He'd raise any 2 (J2s-28-103, it didn't matter) to $200 pre flop, get reraised to $600-$800 then call, get bet into by the pre flop reraiser, and if he caught ANY portion of the flop say I'll catch up and proceed to put the other player all in. Then turn or river trips, 2pair, str8's or flush up. It was astounding to watch.

I played chicken and watched the carnage for about 45 min, then took my $$ and ran ;)

Venetian- Played 1/2 NL my last day in town. The lists were long, but the CEO tourney was running, and they would open new tables as they could. Another Very nice room with plenty of space (I'm 6'2"/340) which is nice. The staff was on top of all of the action and friendly. Table was filled with a few locals, and the rest tourists. I proceed to piss off a very nice local girl by playing super agressive as the table was SUPER tight. Hey, it was my last day in town. I'd bet, raise & re raise in position, out of position, straddle (almost never do that), re straddle. I think the young Swed from the 5/10 game wore off on me, or some of my play at TI with Stray Bullet,lol. I kept dragging some small pots, and an occasional bigger one. She got fed up and left, but I had some fun and enjoyed playing with 2 young British guys in for the Main event. UP $$

Over all a great trip for the cash games. But, the WSOP re buy event was more frustrating than the $1500 PLO. Hopefully I'll have better luck next year, or just chuck it all to the wind and pray to the Poker Gods for numerous suck outs,lol. I'll be back for Super Bowl and more poker in Feb 08, if not sooner!!

Warlock....................